Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Officials from my Department have been working closely with colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in recent months to finalise arrangements for the reconvening of the mobile phone and broadband task force. The previous task force was very successful in delivering on a wide range of important actions and I am keen to build on that success. It is intended to convene a meeting of the new task force at the earliest possible date. Together with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, I have written to the key stakeholders who will make up the new task force to arrange an initial meeting.

With regard to the membership of the task force, we discovered over the course of its predecessor's term that having the right organisations at the table, represented by the right people, is key to achieving progress. The new body will include input from relevant Departments, the local government sector and private industry. A full membership can be published once arrangements for the initial meeting have been finalised.

In order to develop a detailed work plan for the new task force, I have asked the relevant stakeholders to consider potential actions that can be delivered in a number of strategically important thematic areas. It is intended that the new body's work programme will include actions to address issues such as outdoor mobile coverage, planning and licensing issues, asset mapping and access to infrastructure. I look forward to building on the success of the previous task force and working with the members of the new task force. It will convene at the earliest possible date before the year's end. In fact, I understand that meeting will take place next week. The task force will take on fewer actions than its predecessor but those actions will be more complex and impactful, requiring more time, resources and collaboration.

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